Shall We Go On? A Socialist's Answer

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Shall We Go On? A Socialist's Answer

Shall We Go On? A Socialist's Answer

Published in 1918, 20 pages pages. Very small booklet - 14cm by 10cm (S5962)

The First World War split the International Socialist movement - Internationalists like Lenin and the Bolsheviks argued that the war was an imperialist venture that had nothing to do with the working class, and argued for working class international solidarity in opposing the war. On the other side, social democrats in various countries sided with nationalists and patriots in supporting their countries war effort. This led to the Zimmerwald conference in 1915 and the eventual collapse of the Second International

In Britain, many on the left, including socialists, labour members and trade unionists supported the war, and this small pamphlet, published in 1918, reprints an article that appeared in 'The New Age' in February 1918, in which a Socialist outlines why socialists everywhere must continue to support the war. The writer argues that Prussian militarism is a danger to the entire world, and shows how he has sacrificed so much of his socialist thought when he says that 'British Imperialism has often been and still is a source of injustice here and there, but is not and has never been a menace to the whole world' - that, in a nutshell, was the social democratic sell out of the First World War (siding with ones own country in opposition to international working class solidarity)

The condition of the pamphlet is generally very poor, but is perfect as a reading copy or reference for study. The cover has several scuffs and blemishes, and some light nibbling along the edges, but the staple spine is intact, and all pages are intact and tightly bound. The entire pamphlet has considerable creasing throughout, and their is light rusting and discoloration around the staples. Their is also some brown blemishing to the last four pages, although all text remains clear and readable.